Discover the authentic Barcelona right in the center of the city, Ciutat Vella, the number 1 district of Barcelona. The name means “old city” in Catalan and refers to the oldest neighborhoods of the city of Barcelona. It is considered the centre of the city. Sometimes it is hard to find authenticity in the most touristic spots, but that’s why we are here, and we will do just that with our Authentic Tours of Barcelona.

One of these authentic tours is The Barcelonian’s best selling tour, Secrets of Barcelona. Have a virtual experience of the Barcelona that no other agency or tour guide will show you. Get to know the true mysteries of the old city through our exclusive Mobile app where you will be taken back in time. Wi-fi is also provided free of charge on this tour!

Even if you visited the city 100 times, you don’t get to know every last bit of it. An infinite number of mythical spots and stories lay hidden in this wonderful city, and that’s just what we show you on this unique tour, all of Barcelona’s hidden secrets. Seeing a fusion of buildings dating from Roman times to the 20th century. What used to be the city’s famous red-light district, one of Europe’s oldest synagogues, and even the real story of the vampire of Raval!

El Raval Tour

If you want to experience an authentic and stimulating Barcelona neighbourhood, one of the districts The Barcelonian recommends would be El Raval. It may not be the trendiest of the neighborhoods, but it is definitely an authentic district with personality and so much character! It is filled with historical sites, bars (the oldest bar in Barcelona! ), and boutiques that give you a truly unique shopping experience. Unlike the other district of the city with designer labels, Raval is where you find the small locally owned shops selling clothes you can’t find anywhere else.

Raval also has massive amounts of history. The lower part of El Raval, near the port, used to be famous as the city’s “red-light district” until 1988 when the government started a huge urban regeneration project and invested a lot of money in “cleaning up” the area. Today it has become more modern and safe to visit yet another famous site of Antoni Gaudí – Palau Güell. If you don’t want to miss an inch of Raval, join our tour in Barcelona of this quarter, and discover what realy goes down.

La Barceloneta Tour

Another authentic area for The Barcelonian is La Barceloneta, the seaside district of Barcelona. This area used to be a shanty town that accommodated 15,000 people until the mid-20th century. This neighbourhood, with its narrow rectilinear streets, is great to stroll around and experience the old village feel that it still has. The district was built on a military grid structure to provide accommodation for the former inhabitants of La Ribera who had lost their homes due to the construction of the Ciutadella Park. The houses were low-rise and small in scale in order not to obstruct views of the city. In our tours of Barcelona, you’ll get to explore La Barceloneta, and its secrets.

The hilltop of Montjuïc is also a true authentic experience of Barcelona. Montjuïc is one of Barcelona’s green lungs and best viewpoints for the city. Montjuïc has its own little world of history, filled with gardens, museums, cultural centres and Olympic facilities making this mountain quite unique. Just some of its gardens are the botanical gardens that has a collection of Mediterranean plants. You can also enjoy the nature and the views in the Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera (a cactus garden), and the Jardins de Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer. One of the many gardens also have surprising waterfalls and hide the famous Font del Gat.

Apart from its amazing gardens, a huge part of the attraction to the mountain is due to its museums like Fundació Joan Miró, MNAC – National Museum of Catalan Visual Art, the Barcelona Pavilion and many more! Last but not least, Montjüic also offers a magic fountain light show many days of the week that just makes this experience an unforgettable one!